§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish the calculations of extra fuel consumption and costs on which his decision to fix supplementary benefit cold weather payments at £5 a week was based.
§ Mr. MajorThe £5 payment is intended as a reasonable amount for extra costs, enabling speed of payments and certainty about the amount of help available. The principle of a flat-rate payment was considered by the Social Security Advisory Committee to be a particularly welcome simplification.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give (a) the daily mean temperature and (b) the weekly mean temperature for each of the weather stations used for calculating severe weather payments for the week 12 January to 18 January.
§ Mr. Major[pursuant to his reply, 20 January 1987]: The information requested is as follows.
715W
716W
Week beginning Monday 12 January 1987 Weather station Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Average Scotland Lerwick -2.5 -0.3 -0.3 0.1 1.3 2.1 3.3 0.5 Wick -2.6 -1.1 0.4 1.8 2.6 2.5 2.6 0.9 Stornaway -2.0 0.5 0.3 1.4 2.9 4.1 5.6 1.8 Kinloss (Inverness) -7.4 -5.3 -4.6 -1.3 0.3 0.6 2.8 -2.1 Aberdeen AP -4.6 -4.0 -1.6 0.3 2.0 0.4 0.3 -1.0 Fort William -6.8 -6.3 -3.8 0.3 2.5 1.3 4.3 -1.3 Leuchars (Dundee) -3.8 -2.4 -1.5 1.2 2.1 0.6 -0.9 -0.7 Glasgow AP -5.9 -4.5 -2.0 0.0 1.8 1.0 1.3 -1.2 Edinburgh AP -6.1 -3.1 -1.5 0.5 1.8 -0.3 -0.5 -1.3 Machriphanish (Campbeltown) -3.6 -2.9 -1.3 0.8 2.2 3.0 4.3 0.4 Prestwick (Ayr) -6.8 -4.8 -2.6 0.1 1.3 -0.3 1.8 -1.6 Eskdalemuir (Galashiels) -7.8 -6.0 -4.3 -1.1 0.1 -2.0 -2.4 -3.4 Whithorn (Stranraer) -5.2 -3.8 -1.9 -0.2 1.5 1.3 1.0 -1.0 Dumfries -6.5 -5.3 -2.3 0.3 1.3 0.0 -0.8 -1.9 Kirkwall -2.3 -1.0 -0.5 1.0 2.0 2.2 2.4 0.5 England Boulmer (Berwick) -3.8 -3.3 -1.2 1.1 2.4 0.6 -2.0 -0.9 Carlisle -6.1 -5.6 -2.8 0.1 1.6 0.1 -1.7 -2.1 Eskmeals (Whitehaven) -5.8 -4.1 -1.8 0.4 2.1 0.4 0.4 -1.2 Leeming (Newcastle) -7.1 -5.9 -2.3 -0.3 0.7 -0.1 -2.4 -2.5 Tynemouth (Sunderland) -3.1 -2.6 -0.8 1.2 2.1 1.3 -1.6 -0.5 Whitby CG -4.3 -4.1 -2.5 0.7 0.5 0.3 -2.4 -1.7 Blackpool AP -6.6 -4.6 -1.8 0.0 1.0 -0.8 -1.8 -2.1 Leeds WC -6.4 -4.5 -3.0 -0.4 0.5 0.0 -2.3 -2.3 Aughton (Liverpool) -5.8 -5.5 -2.7 -0.6 0.9 -0.9 -2.0 -2.5 Manchester AP -5.8 -5.3 -2.4 -0.9 0.6 -0.9 -2.5 -2.5 Finningley (Sheffield) -7.4 -6.6 -2.3 -0.6 0.4 -0.8 -2.5 -2.8 Binbrook (Hull) -6.5 -7.7 -3.5 -1.3 0.1 -1.4 -2.6 -3.3 Coningsby (Boston) -7.0 -7.3 -2.4 -1.4 0.6 -1.7 -1.9 -3.0 Shawbury (Shrewsbury) -9.0 -8.4 -3.0 -1.9 0.6 -4.9 -3.4 -4.3 Birmingham AP -7.4 -8.9 -3.4 -2.3 -0.3 -5.8 -5.0 -4.8 Watnall (Derby) -7.6 -8.8 -3.4 -2.4 -0.5 -1.8 -3.3 -4.0 Marham (Kings Lynn) -10.4 -8.5 -3.5 -2.3 -0.1 -2.6 -1.6 -4.1 Coltishall (Norwich) -6.3 -6.6 -3.6 -2.4 0.3 -1.1 -1.3 -3.0 Wyton (Cambridge) -9.0 -9.0 -4.1 -2.4 -0.7 -3.6 -2.3 -4.5 Bedford RAE -9.6 -8.8 -4.4 -3.1 -3.3 -4.4 -2.8 -5.2 Stansted -9.2 -7.4 -5.1 -2.5 -1.0 -2.1 -2.6 -4.3 Honington (Bury St. Edmunds) -9.6 -8.6 -4.2 -2.5 -0.1 -3.5 -1.7 -4.3 Wattisham (Ipswich) -9.2 -7.3 -4.6 -2.9 -1.0 -1.6 -1.9 -4.1 Brize Norton (Oxford) -8.5 -7.4 -5.1 -2.9 -0.4 -2.4 -1.9 -4.1 Heathrow AP (London) -7.5 -6.2 -4.7 -2.3 -0.5 -1.4 -1.6 -3.5 Manston (Dover) -6.8 -6.1 -4.1 -2.0 -1.7 -2.9 -2.4 -3.7 Herstmonceux (Brighton) -10.0 -8.6 -5.8 -2.2 -1.0 -2.8 -2.8 -4.7 Gatwick AP (Guildford) -8.0 -7.4 -4.9 -2.1 -1.2 -2.8 -2.4 -4.2 Easthampstead (Basingstoke) -10.1 -8.8 -5.0 -2.9 -0.6 -1.8 -2.2 -4.5 Bristol -6.6 -6.3 -3.7 -1.9 1.0 -0.5 0.0 -2.6 Lyneham (Chippenham) -9.3 -8.9 -5.8 -3.8 -0.8 -2.1 -1.5 -4.6 Boscombe Down (Sarum) -8.4 -7.4 -5.1 -3.4 -0.6 -1.8 -1.6 -4.1 Southampton WC -7.0 -6.4 -4.8 -2.3 0.1 -0.6 -0.4 -3.1 Bournemouth AP -7.8 -6.9 -4.9 -2.8 0.0 -0.7 -0.4 -3.3 Yeovilton (Yeovil) -7.3 -7.0 -5.8 -2.7 0.6 -0.4 -0.6 -3.3 Exeter -6.9 -6.3 -4.8 -2.4 0.7 -0.3 0.6 -2.8 Chivenor (Barnstable) -5.1 -4.5 -2.6 -1.6 1.1 -0.7 0.3 -1.9 Okehampton -9.3 -9.1 -6.7 -5.3 -2.4 -2.3 -0.6 -5.2 Mount Batten (Plymouth) -5.5 -5.5 -3.4 -1.9 0.8 1.4 1.7 -1.8 St. Mawgan (Truro) -5.8 -6.1 -4.2 -2.1 0.5 0.8 1.6 -2.2 Culdrose (Penzance) -5.0 -7.7 -5.0 -2.3 0.1 0.9 2.3 -2.4 Wales Valley (Caernarfon) -5.1 -4.3 -1.6 -0.1 1.4 1.2 2.4 -0.9 Trawsfynydd (Dolgellau) -7.9 -6.6 -3.5 -2.0 -1.9 -0.1 0.0 -3.2 Aberporth (Aberystwyth) -6.6 -5.4 -2.4 -1.5 0.3 -0.6 0.0 -2.3 Brawdy (Pembroke) -6.8 -6.5 -3.4 -1.9 0.3 1.3 1.7 -2.2 Mumbles (Swansea) -5.3 -5.9 -2.5 -1.3 1.1 0.7 0.6 -1.8 Cilfynydd (Merthyr Tydfil) -8.3 -8.1 -5.1 -3.6 -0.6 2.1 -2.3 -3.7 Rhoose (Cardiff) -7.3 -7.0 -3.8 -2.6 0.4 -1.3 -0.8 -3.2